HUGE Explosion, UN Building, Baghdad (All US Senators safe)

ABC Radio, WLS-AM, Chicago ^ | 08/19/03 | GRRRRR

[GRRRRR]

WLS-AM & ABC News, just A LARGE explosion just reported at the UN Building in Baghdad...perhaps 500lb bomb or more..

[prairiebreeze]

BIG time overkill (no pun) for an assassination attempt, don't you think?

Prairie

[razorback-bert]

Just heard a NPR babe, say: "who would attack a UN mission?"

[mhking]

From FoxNews.com:

A huge explosion ripped through U.N. headquarters in Baghdad Tuesday, injuring scores of people.


The Coalition Press Information Center (search) said a car bomb caused the blast and witnesses told Reuters that at least three people were killed.

The blast occurred at the Canal Hotel (search), home to the United Nations mission in Iraq. U.N. workers lived and worked in the building when international weapons inspectors were scouring Iraq for evidence of weapons of mass destruction before the war began.

"My house shook like it did during the bombing at the start of the war," a resident in the area said.

• Map: Recent Developments in Iraq

American Black Hawk (search) helicopters could be seen flying toward the scene of the explosion. Black smoke rose hundreds of feet into the air, clearly visible in video shown on American television.

There were reports of significant damage to the buildings. Iraqis said the blast blew out windows as far as a mile away.

U.N. workers told Fox News there were at least 150 workers inside the building, and Reuters quoted U.S. military sources as saying there were scores of casualties from the blast.

Fox News confirmed that U.N. Iraq representative Sergio Vieira de Mello (search), one of the highest-ranking officials at the United Nations, was injured.

Fox News' Dan Springer, reporting from Baghdad, said one entire corner of the two-story hotel has been blown away. It appeared as if the explosion was centered on the building's lobby.

Emergency workers from a nearby National Spinal Cord Injury Center, which also suffered damage, were going through the rubble, looking for survivors and victims.

"What I'm looking at is a scene of immense devastation," Springer reported.

The U.S. military said at least nine people were wounded as of 9:30 ET.

"I would assume that number would go up as we go through the day," Springer said.

Sgt. Amy Abbott said the 4:30 p.m. blast was caused by a car bomb. She said military ambulances and security forces were at the scene. She said she did not yet have casualty figures and did not know if anyone had been killed.

A car was seen ablaze outside the collapsed corner of the building. Many injured civilians were walking away from the scene.

The U.S. Army and Iraqi police secured the scene.

Tuesday's explosion seemed to be more powerful than the car bomb that rocked the Jordanian Embassy in (search) Baghdad on Aug. 7, which killed at least 11 people and left more than 50 wounded.

The latest attack was the latest in a string of incidents at so-called "soft targets," or lightly guarded civilian and diplomatic facilities.

Oil and water pipelines also came under what is thought to be sabotage attacks this week.

Paul Bremer (search), the U.S. administrator in Iraq, just Tuesday morning was warning against the flood of potential terrorists coming in to Iraq from neighboring countries to boost opposition forces.

U.S. administrators and the military "do believe that there are professional terrorists, foreign regime leaders … coming in from the border of Iraq," Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who met with U.S. military leaders in Iraq earlier in the day, told Fox News. "But we cannot cut and run. We must stay here and build the security of this country ... and start helping the people of Iraq recover."

She added: "The escalation of terrorists attacks are of great concern to everyone,"

Other lawmakers agreed the latest bombing is evidence of the threat that still plagues post-regime reconstruction efforts.

"I think what this shows is an increase in the level of org. of the opposition we face," Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., told Fox News. "We have to assume a further escalation of violence against coalition forces and allies."

"There seems to me rather stark evidence in the heart of Baghdad that terrorists are afoot, even Al Qaeda afoot, in the provinces of Iraq," added Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., told Fox News.

Fox News' Steve Harrigan, David Lee Miller and Dan Springer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[prairiebreeze]

Ditto. Miss his remarks.

Prairie

[Mo1]

This might be an assassination attempt on DeMello.......this truck went into the UN building at the spot of DeMello's offices on the third floor

Maybe, maybe not .. but this was an attempt to make the weak kneed UN bend even more. The UN made a stupid mistake for not having the building more secured

[Republican Red]

Just heard a NPR babe, say: "who would attack a UN mission?"

I am gobsmacked by that statement!

[mass55th]

"They know the UN, like the press, Jordan and most of their Arab neighbors ignored Saddam's atrocities for years..."

Not to mention the collusion of the UN with Saddam in abusing the oil for food program.

[mewzilla]

Just heard a NPR babe, say: "who would attack a UN mission?"

Someone who wants something from the UN. This tactic has worked for the terrorists before.

[mhking]

From WSTR-FM/Atlanta: de Mello is among the dead, per AP.

[prairiebreeze]

Another NPR lib who just doesn't get it.

Prairie

[boxerblues]

do they ever?

[Mo1]

NBC is reporting that the senators aren't harmed and may not be in Iraq at this point. They were scheduled to fly into Iraq overnight from Kuwait.

Who were these Senators?

I wonder if they were targets?

[prairiebreeze]

oh geeze....

Prairie

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thanks for the correction - #193. Sen. Hutchinson is not in Iraq.

Thank you to John Scott who is telling the world that e-mail from the troops to him are echoing what Staff Sgt Paul Johnson just said: "We're ready and willing to get the job done."

[Ex-Dem]

Who? Is that the head UN representative to Iraq?

[Dog]

That is huge Mike...

[Alouette]

Israel calls on U.N. to show restraint...

[Mo1]

: de Mello is among the dead, per AP.

He's been killed??

[carton253]

It's like shining a perpetual light on the cockroaches. They can't get organized.

But, we need to stay in hot pursuit. That's why this presidential election is so important. This administration understands that we have to be relentless. Howard Dean would surrender.